NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

HTV-7

Launch Time
Sat Sep 22, 2018 17:52 UTC

Rocket

H-IIB
MHI
Status: Retired
Price: $112.5 million
Payload to LEO: 16,500 kg
Payload to GTO: 8,000 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 4
Rocket Height: 56.6 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.1 m
Fairing Height: 15.0 m

Mission Details

HTV-7

The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), also called Kounotori (こうのとり, Kōnotori, "Oriental stork" or "white stork"), is an expendable, automated cargo spacecraft used to resupply the Kibō Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) and the International Space Station (ISS). The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has been working on the design since the early 1990s.

The HTV is very important for resupplying the ISS because after the retirement of the Space Shuttle it is the only vehicle that can transfer new 41.3 in (105 cm) wide International Standard Payload Racks (ISPRs) and dispose old ISPRs that can fit the 130 cm wide tunnels between modules in the US Orbital Segment.

The HTV is about 9.8 metres long (including maneuvering thrusters at one end) and 4.4 metres in diameter. Total mass when empty is 10,500 kilograms, with a maximum total payload of 6,000 kilograms, for a maximum launch weight of 16,500 kilograms.

The HTV is comparable in function to the Russian Progress, ESA ATV, commercial Cargo Dragon 1, and Cargo Dragon 2 of SpaceX. Plus the Cygnus spacecraft, all of which bring supplies to the ISS. Like the ATV, the HTV carries more than twice the payload of the Progress, but is launched less than half as often. Unlike Progress spacecraft, Cargo Dragon 2's and ATV's which use the docking ports automatically, HTVs and American Dragon 1 approach the ISS in stages, and once they reach their closest parking orbit to the ISS, crew grapple them using the robotic arm Canadarm2 and berth them to an open berthing port on the Harmony module.

Initially seven missions were planned in 2008–2015. With the extension of the ISS project through 2028, three more missions were added, with the tenth flight seeing an improved, cost-reduced version called the HTV-X.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 15,700.0 kg
Low Earth Orbit

Location

LA-Y2, Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

Stats

2018

73rd orbital launch attempt

H-IIB

7th mission
1st mission of 2018
7th successful mission